Survivors

In the scheme of history, 60 years is not very long. And yet, at least for those of us middle-aged or younger, 1945 seems part of another epoch entirely; the world then, a different planet from our own.

For Jews, 1945 marked the end not only of a World War but of a calculated and nearly successful plan for genocide. There is little reason to imagine that Hitler would have stopped with the conquest of Europe, nor sufficed with the murder of Europe's Jews alone. And so all of us, in a sense, are survivors.

No wonder our determination to remember, reflect, commemorate. Despite our psychological distance from the Holocaust - or perhaps because of it - we are impelled to honor the memory of the six million precious Jewish souls whom it consumed.

And so we read and write books, build monuments and museums - using words, symbols and artifacts to preserve, as best they can, the details of the inconceivable.

We make pilgrimages to death-camp sites, and pay homage to the memories of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins on the very soil that absorbed their blood; we breathe the air that carried their ashes.

The undertakings are inspiring; they seize our thoughts and squeeze our souls.

But at the same time, they usually fail to convey something vital: Europe's Jews didn't just die; they lived, too.

As historian Moshe Halberstal put it, we need to dwell upon "not how we lost, but what we lost" - and, we might add, how we might recapture it.

While remembering the Holocaust must certainly include the fact that incredible numbers of Jews were annihilated by the Germans and their many eager allies, that itself is not enough. The most crucial memorializing of those Jewish martyrs is a focus not on the lost Jewish lives but on the lost Jewish life, the timeless ideals and dedication to the Jewish religious tradition that characterized so much of pre-Holocaust Jewish Europe.

As historian Moshe Halberstal put it, we need to dwell upon "not how we lost, but what we lost" - and, we might add, how we might recapture it.

To be sure, there were Jews in pre-war Europe who abandoned the faith and practices of their forebears, but what they had rejected was in fact just that - the essence of their forbears' lives, and those of their brothers and sisters.

Just over 60 days ago at this writing - I needn't consult a calendar; the Daf Yomi Talmud-study program is on the 62nd page of its first tractate - hundreds of thousands of Jews gathered worldwide to celebrate the Talmud, the prime repository of Jewish religious law. It was no coincidence that the event, which packed Madison Square Garden, the Continental Airlines Arena and dozens of other venues across the country and around the world, was dedicated to the memory of the Six Million.

Jewish tradition considers it of great benefit to the souls of the deceased when the living study Torah or improve their religious observance on their behalf. Even here on earth, though, by embracing what so many of those killed for being Jews stood for and lived for, in a way we provide them new life.

And at the same time, we meaningfully address something else too: the contemporary Jewish crisis of "continuity." For by doing more than merely remembering the Jewish loss of the war years, by actually overcoming its effects, at least on the spiritual stratum, the Jewish world not only reconnects to its past - it ensures its future. Our collective Jewish heritage is the time-tested solution to assimilation; observance of our religious tradition is what preserved us as a people throughout history. It alone has the power to do so now as well.

There is a Jewish holiday most focused on continuity; as it happens, it is the one just past. Passover is the time of "You shall tell your children," the season for planting the seeds of Jewish identity, of the Jewish future, in the fertile minds of our young. And it is tethered in a singular way - by the count-up of the "Days of the Omer" - to the Jewish holiday we will observe in mere weeks. Shavuot is Passover's conclusion; it establishes the essence of our identity and the key to our future. Because it commemorates the day we were given the Torah.

Sixty years after the end of the Holocaust, Passover\Shavuot, that binary star in the firmament of the Jewish year, speaks most poignantly to all of us Jews - all of us survivors. What it tells us is that we must continue to survive, and that the way to do that is to remain true to the peoplehood forged on the very first Passover - and to the mission with which we were charged fifty days later, at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Visitor Comments: 14

(14)
robinlinger,
October 24, 2006 9:45 AM

Bulgaria

Please, please Rabbi tell the jewish people of the world about the woderful Bulgarian people. King, Church, government & people who saved every jew50,000 from Hitler's grasp. I think this is one of the best kept secrets regarding the Holocaust which shows that humanity did exist. I am 69 years old and I any discovered this fact two years ago. There must be a lot like me.

(13)
Margaret Baron,
August 12, 2006 12:00 AM

I see a great need for reconciliation, in order to end the pain

Dear Sir, I appreciate your passionate plea to presereve the Jewish faith and all that is holy to you. This is very important, as I believe G-d has inspired and loved you for centuries. May His hand continue to guide you all, especially during these difficult times. However, my prayer for you, and for all people, is to seek a way of reconciliation. There is so much to be gained from it and the pain of the past can have an end. I live in a village near Bergen-Belsen in Germany, and my three children have all attended German schools. It is a tradition and indeed a reguirement of the German school system to study this most awful period of German history, and combine it with a visit to the concentration camp museum.I can, as an English woman testify to the sincere desire of the teachers to educate the next generation about all that went wrong, and repent with them and determine that it will never happen again. I have met many wonderful people here (I married one of them!) I try to educate my children to respect all people and cultures. My greatest desire is to create a world of peace and true understanding and brotherly love for the future generations. This has been the hope of all mankind, and G-d´s desire since time began. Be a peacemaker. The world doesn´t have enough of them! Shalom.

(12)
Brenda,
August 7, 2006 12:00 AM

We must stand together and educate.

I am a Christian woman who lived in Germany for 4 years while my husband was stationed there with the U.S. Army. While there we visited the concentration camps to remember the victims. It hurt me when I read an article that stated that less than 50 of children in the U.S. know what the holocaust was. I have even heard people say the holocaust never really happened. My son will be educated by my husband and me on what happened, and it is so important to educate today's youth on the past. We must never forget. Thank you for this wonderful article.

(11)
LVZBELLE,
July 4, 2006 12:00 AM

SION SUNRISE

SO MUCH SUFFERING BUT THANKS HASHEM SEBAOT THE LAST STAND IS NOW TAKING PLACE AGAINST THE ONES WHO HATE ISRAEL, BUT FIRST HATED HASHEM , OUR ENEMIES ARE DEAD AND SOME IN HELL FOR EVER LIVING BAD , AND THANKS G-D YOU HAVE PLACE THIS ALL , SIMPLY GREAT AND PERFECT .

(10)
jeanette,
May 13, 2006 12:00 AM

This article was very meaningful to me.

Although I have much knowledge of the Holocaust, I love to see that people still care about the tragity and write about it. People do need more knowledge on this heart wrenching period. It is always nice to learn more and see that this will never be forgotton, especially the people we lost.

(9)
Ashley Loren,
March 14, 2006 12:00 AM

I hurt with you

I feel horrible about what they have gone through. Everyone who survived was given a gift from God.. I have read a book about a survivor and i was amazed at what the Germans did. They threw babies into the air and used them as target practice. I hurt with each person that has hurt becasue i dont see why they would want to get rid of an entire race just because they didnt fit the critearia for the perfect environment. Since when is anyone perfect? we all have faults and we need to accept everyone for who they are and not what we want them to be.

(8)
Leah PettePiece,
June 22, 2005 12:00 AM

Daughter of Survivor

Born three days before the relocation ship on which my mother and my aunt were traveling reached New York, I am a survivor also.
I read this story with much admiration for the writer, he has a glimpse of what those of us who grew up in the aftermath of the war know!!! We are the memories of those who were lost, and we now are also growing older, I turned sixty this year! We must continue to honor the memories of those who lived and those who survived!! We must never be silent, we speak up when we see atrosity happening in other countries, and we must always believe that we are connected to a power that is more than just a form of religion, a power that serperated us and gave us Torah and taught us to be a voice for all those who are enslaved or oppressed or living in lack of freedom due to the madness of some government. We are not seperate, we are all human and what is done to our fellow man also affects us! We must stand and speak for those who can not!!

(7)
Anonymous,
June 18, 2005 12:00 AM

I think that this sight teaches alot. This is coming from a Jew herself. I plan to be a college professor for WW2.

(6)
laronda 6th grade wirth cahokia il,
May 27, 2005 12:00 AM

i like even though it hurts to read this

5/26/05
i was in social studies class and we were learning about the holocaust and i was very surprised about the part where they threw the babies in trucks from windows in the hospital that was very wrong and i am very happy that there are some survivors or else i would cry even though i am and have been evey since i watched the movie the devils arithemetic

(5)
Anonymous,
May 19, 2005 12:00 AM

Yad Vashem Or Bust By Doron N.

"Testament to Life" was referring to a NEW Holocaust museum going up ten miles from Yad Vashem.
Yad Vashem is an extremely important display of what the "civilized" world is capable of doing to one another and especially the Jewish people.
MORE museums is not the answer to the survival of the Jewish people.

(4)
Doron N.,
May 17, 2005 12:00 AM

Yad Vashem or Bust.

I recently visited the new Yad Vashem memorial/museum in Jerusalem. In response to anonymous “Testaments to death vs. testaments to life”, I would like to say that the memorial/museum that I walked with my children and my wife through for over two hours left me with a profound sense of shock, and eventually, some sort of understanding of why I think a museum of this nature should exist at whatever the cost.
I have been exposed to Holocaust related materials throughout my life and have in turn, exposed my children to much of this. However, nothing compared to the feeling of descending into the blackness of this memorial/museum and then pass through it and into the light of modern Jerusalem.
I believe Israel was built on the notion of creating a home for Jews, which would never deny them entrance as every nation on earth did during the Holocaust. Israel is currently locked in a death battle with the self-proclaimed sudo nation of Palestine. For the Jews to not only triumph in this battle, but just to accept it with pride in themselves, as Jews, Yad Vashem is a light for the people to see the importance of, not only their Jewish heritage, but of the need for unity of the Jewish people in creating a secure and respected future for Jews in the world and in Israel.
It is said that the second temple was destroyed for the sin of ‘sinat chinam’ – ‘unjustified hatred’ among Jews. The religious and the secular all shared the same fate during the holocaust. The only thing that, with out a doubt, they had in common was Jewish heritage just as in the world today. Israel can survive only if, not only the Jews of Israel, but also the Jews of the world can remember their common heritage and the threat that all Jews face in the world, even today. The holocaust needs to serve as a wake-up call for us today. We cannot afford to fall asleep while something like the holocaust could happen. Yad Vashem is a monument, not only to the six million, but also to Jews all over the world and a place for all of us to rally together and face our common enemy, which often times can be ourselves. Without what this museum stands for in the Jewish and Gentile minds the Israeli hospitals will fill the land and overflow onto the streets until not only Israel disappears but the Jews around the world do as well.

(3)
Anna,
May 16, 2005 12:00 AM

I agree with both the comments

I agree that $100,000,000 could be spent on a more practical memorial such as a hospital which could have a name that would make it clear that it was a memorial to the 6,000,000. I can see why large memorials are erected, but surely a nice compromise would be to have a memory garden in the grounds of the hospital (or whatever). The 6,000,000 must never be forgotten.

I love to read stories of Jewish life like 'Last Walk in Naryshkin Park' ( I hope I have the name right); also ones like the 'All of a Kind' family series by Sydney Taylor. My Jewish heritage is very percious to me. L'chaim !

(2)
Anonymous,
May 15, 2005 12:00 AM

Testaments Of Death Vs.Testaments To Life

Your article's timing is interesting.
Just a few months ago,there was groundbreaking for another Holocaust museum in Jerusalem.
That edifice will cost in excesss of one hundred million dollars.
I do not hear any dissent to this almost obscene waste of money.
Is Yad Vashem outdated?
Are there new baby shoes and other photos that have been uncovered that would not find it's place in Yad Vashem?
Would this money not be better spent on the health of Judaism's spiritual and or physical future ie;state of the art hospitals,vocational schools,medical schools(maybe a yeshiva or two)?
I am concerned about the motives of these museum builders.
They are creating a cottage industry off the Holocaust.
Last week in L.A.,there were so many different venues,that the survivors were literally shuffled around and put on display.
Time to hold these entrepeneurs accountable.

(1)
David Notowitz,
May 13, 2005 12:00 AM

Why do the horrors of death overshadow the joyous stories of life?

Why do the horrors of death overshadow the joyous stories of life? Why do the details of the death camps, the struggles in the ghettos, and the tearing apart of families in the 1930s and 1940s grab us more than the deeper, thoughtful stories about love and learning and Jewish life? I have many thoughts about this, but I'd love to hear yours.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
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